blog – UWS BA ePDPs

Reflections on Placement

Over the past two week I have been on placement in a primary school. It was a very challenging yet extremely rewarding experience and I feel like I progressed greatly in the short time. Something I think I did well over the course of the fortnight and I would consider a strength would be how … Continue reading Reflections on Placement →

Over the past two week I have been on placement in a primary school. It was a very challenging yet extremely rewarding experience and I feel like I progressed greatly in the short time.

Something I think I did well over the course of the fortnight and I would consider a strength would be how well I was able to adjust my register. Being aware of who you are speaking to is vital when needing to change your tone and language. When speaking to Primary 2’s you wouldn’t use the same formal language you would speak to the head teacher with or the tone you would speak to the Primary 7’s with. Adjusting your register is very important as you would seem condescending speaking to another teacher in the tone and pitch you speak to the youngest children in. This is something i think I managed to do well over the time in school.

The area I think I made the most progress with over my time spent in the school would be my confidence with taking groups of children and leading activities. In the beginning I found this quite difficult as I was unsure how to approach it but as the weeks went on I became much more confident with this sort of task and enjoyed taking the groups out.

An area I think I still need to work on is ensuring I always show open body language. Often I found myself crossing my arms or holding my fists which displays closed body language. This is something that I definitely need to work on as it is something I will be marked down on in the future.

First Blog

This is my blog where I will be sharing my experiences and reflection of my studies at UWS 🙂

This is my blog where I will be sharing my experiences and reflection of my studies at UWS

Mind, Body and Health

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Health and Wellbeing

The Glasgow Effect Today within Society and Lifestyle we were discussing health and at risk behaviours. We were asked to read ‘The Glasgow Effect’ document that looks at deprived areas in the UK (Glasgow, Manchester and Liverpool) and examines the mortality rate within these areas. From reading the document, I found out that even though […]

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The Glasgow Effect

Today within Society and Lifestyle we were discussing health and at risk behaviours. We were asked to read ‘The Glasgow Effect’ document that looks at deprived areas in the UK (Glasgow, Manchester and Liverpool) and examines the mortality rate within these areas.

From reading the document, I found out that even though income rates are almost identical in these cities, premature death in Glasgow is 30% higher, with all deaths 15% higher than Manchester and Liverpool. Around half of these deaths under 65 are directly related to alcohol and drugs. The way I interpret this information would be, by living in Scotland, culture must play a huge part in the mortality within Glasgow compared to Manchester and Liverpool. Scots have a 50% higher risk of having heart problems compared to those in England. Scots are famous for drinking and eating unhealthy so being engrossed in the culture could be one of the main reasons for such a high mortality.

‘Excess’ mortality is greater within the working class, ages 15-44 years (45% higher) and 45-64 years (30% higher) although childhood mortlity was significantly lower in Glasgow compared to Liverpool and Manchester. Glasgow statistics – 27% higher for lung cancer, 32% higher for external causes, 70% higher for suicide, 2.3 times higher for alcohol-related causes and almost 2.5 times higher for drug-related poisoning. Between 2003-2007 there were more than 4,500 ‘excess’ deaths in Glasgow. For deaths under 65 almost half of the excess was due to deaths from alcohol related causes (32%) and drugs related poisonings (17%).

From this document, I gathered that a high mortality rate is related to how deprived and area is, although Glasgow has proven that it isn’t the only cause of excess deaths. It is only a small part of a large topic that is still being studied.

To what extent are Scottish people healthy?

I would guess, without looking into it, that Scotland is not a healthy country. Scottish culture is predominantly unhealthy – whiskey, shortbread, irn bru, haggis – all of which Scots embrace.

By looking at the Scottish Health Survey, some of the statistics would strongly back up my initial thought. Mental health is a big problem in Scotland. Between the ages of 16-24, 23% of women had reported self-harm, many including attempted suicide. Poor health is strongly associated with living in a deprived area (34%) compared to more wealthy areas (18%).

Relating to the Scottish culture, binge drinking is a huge problem for the country. 36% of men and 17% of women admit to drinking more than the government advised safe limit – 14 units. I found this statistic untrustworthy as I would definitely have guessed that it was higher, especially because drinking has become something that is common from a young age. Also, 21% of the population of Scotland say they smoke.

Lack of physical activity is also a problem within Scotland. Men are more active than women. Only 26% of adults meet the guidelines for moderate of vigorous physical activity. This relates to the 65% of adults being overweight.

Inclusion and Equality

Today I found Inclusion and Equality a really interesting topic. I think inclusion and equality is a big problem that is kept under the surface and sugar coated when it should be something we are paying attention to everyday. Throughout the day, my attention has been drawn to Peggy McIntosh’s “invisible rucksack” discussing ‘white privilege’. […]

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Throughout the day, my attention has been drawn to Peggy McIntosh’s “invisible rucksack” discussing ‘white privilege’. From reading the 50 statements available in the PDF, I could relate to a couple of them because of being young and female but the thought of someone experiencing anymore than a couple seriously upsets me. I feel ignorant that I haven’t completely thought about these statements and I’m glad they have been brought to my attention. It also upsets me that people in the world can inflict these feelings onto others and I’m hoping being more aware of them will allow me to avoid inflicting these feelings on others.

I chose question 2, as well as 3, to discuss as I felt that one of the reasons I hadn’t noticed the “invisible rucksack” was because my school did an excellent job of creating an equal and inclusive environment.

Question 2

Think about the last school you attended as a learner.

Were all learners included?

Majority of learners were included, although my secondary school had a high percentage of none-English speaking students that I feel weren’t included.

What makes you think so?

By not having English as their first language, they weren’t fully involved in the learning and were also put into different level classes making it difficult for them to feel included and be involved in all aspects of learning and teaching.

Were all learners valued?

I felt all learners that contributed and tried were valued.

What makes you think so?

Many students didn’t want to be in school and didn’t try or work hard. I felt as though this caused some teachers and other pupils to value their work or attendance to the class lesser than students who worked hard and contributed to class discussions/work.

Were all achievements valued?

I would say yes.

What makes you think so?

Our secondary school had many different forms of achievement and I feel they were valued just as much as the next e.g. exam results, sport competitions, eco club etc.

Were all abilities valued?

Yes.

What makes you think so?

Everyone had different abilities and capabilities and the school valued and supported everyone’s differences.

Religion, Society and Diversity

Within todays lecture and tutorials, I was made aware of some theorists involved when studying religion and also how to apply their work to exam questions. I also learned some extra information about religion and the different types of religion/sect/cult. I feel like I would understand the main concepts and issues of religion with further reading […]

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I feel like I would understand the main concepts and issues of religion with further reading of notes and theoretical approaches. As it was the first day, class changes and rooms were a tad unorganised which interrupted some learning, however I’m sure this will all be fixed for next week.

There is nothing that I have struggled to understand as of yet, however this will be to do with the small workload we have at the moment. Concepts and issues seem easy to follow as I have a great interest in the module topics.

I feel as though my knowledge of religion has developed today because I have never studied it in a theoretical way and I’m interested in what has to come from this module. I’m sure later on in the module there will be areas that I will have to improve but I am unaware of these at this moment.

This is the first module that we have had peer-ran tutorials and this is something I will have to improve on. It is easy to get distracted when left to my own devices, however the topic of this module is interesting and will hopefully keep me engaged and wanting to learn more.

Reflections on Placement

Placement was a very worthwhile experience for myself. It was great to see how another school worked, how it was ran and the moral of the teachers in the school. I felt as though one week was far too short. When I first saw all the placement tasks that we had to complete I really […]

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Placement was a very worthwhile experience for myself. It was great to see how another school worked, how it was ran and the moral of the teachers in the school.

I felt as though one week was far too short. When I first saw all the placement tasks that we had to complete I really did panic and wonder how I was going to get them finished on time and give them all as much attention as the next. I felt as though, especially task 5, was a huge challenge. It was only on Thursday I felt I had enough information to start observing certain children’s language differences – strengths and weaknesses – which then didn’t really give me loads of time to really observe them properly and understand why they may have these differences.

The overall experience of the school was great. I felt comfortable and appreciated which really boosted my confidence and allowed me find out information I wanted to know by asking questions and not feel silly about anything I said as I was there to learn. The school was very supportive of me, giving me loads of opportunities to develop my skills within the classroom and school setting.

Strength

I feel my main strength would be my presence in the classroom and how to engage and interact with the children. A couple of years ago I started a 12 week block placement with college and felt as though my first impression in front of the children was not the strongest. I ended up being more of a friend than a teacher because I wanted the children to like me which I feel is normal although this was changed when I worked in an after school care. I learned the I had to develop a ‘teacher-aura’ rather than a friendly relationship and I feel this really showed throughout my week in placement.

The evidence I have to support this would be through my verbal and non-verbal communication. I spoke confidently to the children and groups of children and constantly reflected on volume, pitch, tone and speed. The children would listen to my instructions and follow them giving me a good demonstration of how effective my communication skills were throughout the week.

Area of Most Progress

The area I progressed in the most, I would say was learning to change the way I speak to benefit my audience. I was with Primary 1 and learned that slower, clearer instructions were needed to enhance the children’s learning. I also found that enthusiasm was the key to keeping the children engaged and on task.

I also used this when talking to other members of staff around the school. I got a great understanding of the conversations that go on between teachers and how they help each other out, its not just everyone for themselves which was positive and reassuring to see.

Area Requiring Progress

From peer and self observation I would say the area that requires progress would be allowing children more of a chance to answer/writing/speak before offering help or support. I noticed that the combination of becoming mildly impatient when someone doesn’t know an answer and wanting to help everyone isn’t great. I felt I was too quick to do things for them without letting the children use their own initiative.

Action Plan

My action plan is to take a step back and allow children to be more independent, especially the young children. That is the one of the ways that children learn the difference between right and wrong. I feel like I need to work on my patience and self control, encouraging children when answering instead of answering for them.

Urban Environment

Within my local Urban area which is within the large town of Ayr there are a variety of physical characteristics blending both natural and man made features. Ayr is a […]

Within my local Urban area which is within the large town of Ayr there are a variety of physical characteristics blending both natural and man made features. Ayr is a coastal town which has shaped the types of development that
have taken place in the area. Such as larger numbers of homes being used as holiday lets or bed and breakfasts so that people can capitalise off the seaside location. There is also a larger number of fish and chip shops, ice cream venders and leisure facilities such as laser quest, bowling and arcades to encourage tourism to the area. The area also offers large areas of grassy land for outdoor activities. A good example of this is the well maintained wellington square which is an excellent place for tourists and locals alike to relax whilst still supporting nature by offering a greener area with more varieties of plant life. ayr-beach

Ayr is also showing signs of development through regeneration schemes. Major examples of this can be seen along the river Ayr. As part of the Ayr town centre strategy more unsightly buildings are being converted in to new flats and public buildings which brings new life in to the community and helps prevent the area from getting too run down whilst preserving the environment by regenerating existing buildings rather than taking over new land to build new buildings. Part of this is being done as part of the Ayr riverside framework project. This can be viewed in more detail via this pdf: http://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/documents/ayr%20riverside%20framework.pdf . The areas of land by the river have also shown signs of development within recent times through the construction of the UWS campus and halls of residence. The main building itself cost 81 million pounds to construct and was opened in 2011. This development helped raising Ayr’s student population whilst expanding on the facilities within the area.

Ayr also has good public transport links through having a decent bus network and good access to other areas out with Ayr via its train station. This is also helped by Ayr having its own bus station which allows people the option to use public transport for their daily commute. There are also sections of one way streets in place to help with congestion and the road down Ayr high street is reserved with in specific times purely for public transport. However the area doesn’t offer any sort of tram system and lacks in a lot of places pedestrianised zones. However there is evidence of good use of land with the presence ayr-shop of a multi-storey carpark as a part of the kyle shopping centre near the high street reducing the need for on street parking within the area which in turn reduces congestion.

Ayr has multiple primary schools including Braehead primary school, Grammar primary school and Forehill primary school which means local children have a higher chance of living closer to their primary school minimising their commute. This also allows communities to have stronger bonds to their respective local school whilst have wider connections to the other schools within Ayr.

There are also contains a couple of options of community centres giving people somewhere to go to socialise and take part in activities to raise skills and create bonds within the community. These include Heathfield community centre and Lochside community centre. However as the John Pollock community centre is now closed it could be observed that more could be done to encourage people to become more involved with their community.

The area also includes a library, Carnegie Library, offering people an access to technology and information showing signs of good development within the area. The south Ayrshire council is also working to continue to expand the amount of allotments available in the area. This is a good benefit to urban environments as it helps create more green spaces and in many cases offers up activities for elderly members of the community. It also allows people to then give something back to the community once they have grown their produce on their allotment.

Ayr offers plenty of opportunity for work during the summer months being a seaside town it can attract plenty of tourism meaning there are plenty of opportunities within the area to capitalise on tourism such as plenty of fast food outlets and hotels such as The Mercure Ayr hotel which is just up the road from where I live. This encourages tourists to bring more money into the area meaning the area is given more of a chance to thrive. There is also a strong agricultural and farming presence in the area which is supported by having an SRUC campus in the area helping to inspire future works in agriculture. Ayrs high street is still suffering some regard like most high streets across Scotland however there is still a large variety of large retail industries within Ayr as well as large choice of super markets including Morrisons, Lidls, Tescos and Aldi. This means people can do their shopping within Ayr without feeling the need to commute to cities such as Glasgow or Edinburgh.

In terms of recreation Ayr notable has the Gaiety theatre which has just been renovated showing signs of development and improvement within the area. This is important as it is things like this that help create people image of Ayr and what helps them define what it means to be a part of Ayr’s culture and environment. The area also offers sporting opportunities through places like the Citadel Leisure centre. This helps people get involved in their local community and allows people to live a more active life style.

With in Ayr there are 92 people per square kilometre. This is far less than the major cities within Scotland such as Glasgow which is currently estimated at 3415 per square kilometre and even the other surrounding counties such as East Ayrshire which is currently sitting at 97 per square kilometre. This suggests the area offers far more open spaces and that people in general have a lot more room. The air quality within my area considered low (2), shown 2016-09-20 from the results taken from www.scottishairquality.co.uk which suggests that the area is far less industrial and is putting out far less pollutants that would affect the areas air quality. This is good as it means buildings like the UWS that are more environmentally friendly and the lack of certain industries within Ayr is helping to keep the air quality at a healthy level.